Halfway There
by AngelWing1138
Summary: He was so familiarunfamiliar and it ached the empty in his chest until he thought he felt something burn. [AkuRoku]


A/N: Hey there! Anyhow, this is a story I got inspired to write by two different stories; 'Waiting' by A Spot of Bother and 'Ill Repute' by the author I can NEVER spell the name of. --;; But love them anyhow! This is sort of like...A MIX or whatever. Anyhow, enjoy this one shot. _(smile)_

Disclaimer: 'Hate Me' belongs to Blue October. Kingdom Hearts II Characters belong to Square Enix.

* * *

_I have to block out thoughts of you so I don't lose my head  
They crawl in like a cockroach leaving babies in my bed  
Dropping little reels of tape to remind me that I'm alone  
Playing movies in my head that make a porno feel like home  
There's a burning in my pride, a nervous bleeding in my brain  
An ounce of peace is all I want for you. Will you never call again?  
And will you never say that you love me just to put it in my face?  
And will you never try to reach me? It is I that wanted space_

He lounged on the couch comfortable, eyes closed as he listened to the jabber of the other teenagers around him. They were all in the same boat; all members of a British style halfway house; runaways, abused children, orphans. Most of them had been in the halfway house for at least two years, all for different reasons; all of them forming bonds with each other that no one could ever dream of breaking.

He could hear the cackling of Larxene as she told a twisted joke to Demyx and Marluxia; both who looked slightly perturbed but laughed all the same so that the small blonde girl wouldn't kill them. Zexion sat with Luxord as the older boy taught him how to play poker, the smaller, more intelligent teen biting his bottom lip; causing Demyx to look over at him briefly before looking back at Larxene as she snapped in front of his face.

Roxas was sprawled over the couch as if he owned the damn thing, one arm thrown over his forehead, eyes halfway opened and looking at the others boredly with a slight frown; his other arm over his stomach, one leg lifted to rest on the bottom of his foot, the other laid out fully, stretched on the couch comfortably. His breathing was deep and slow; purposeful and thought out with each intake and slow outtake; lungs filling and deflating every few seconds. There was a purposeful pause between each breath where he didn't breathe at all and he was as still as the dead; but then he'd realise held breath or suck in breath so his lungs wouldn't burn from lack of oxygen.

It was something to do, not matter how boring and pointless it was it was something to do.

_Hate me today  
__Hate me tomorrow  
__Hate me so you can see what's good for you_

Clear, crisp footsteps walked towards the recreation room and everyone fell silent; Saix by the window looking away from the glass, a usual frown on his lips, Larxene falling silent with a frown on her lips; Luxord hid his cards before they were confiscated again. The man who stopped at the archway of the recreation room and the hallway stood there tall and proud; his shoulders straightened and broad, his back straight in the perfect posture. His dark amber eyes narrowed as he looked at all the teenagers before he smirked a little. "Tifa has come for a visit; I'm sure you all know what that means." Xemnas spoke clearly, stepping aside to let Tifa step in, smirking at them; dark brown hair pulled back and brown/red eyes looking at them with a calm serenity the voluptuous woman usually didn't have.

"New member," Marluxia said with a grin. "Either that or one of us is getting moved to a different halfway house."

"That won't be happening for a while," Tifa Lockhart said as she stepped into the recreation room, looking at the surrounding teenagers. "We've got a new member, and he's an abused kid." She looked at them all, eyes narrowed. "How many of you are the abused again?"

Larxene, Roxas, Saix, Zexion and Marluxia all stood up at this; Roxas' arms crossed, Larxene smirking evilly but uncomfortably and Marluxia closing his eyes as if he didn't care when he really did but just wouldn't admit it. Both Saix and Zexion stood there emotionlessly, not looking like anything or saying anything. Tifa nodded, and they sat down again, Roxas sighing as he tucked one leg under him, the other one hanging in front of the seat, swinging back and forth slightly.

"Okay; you guys, if you could or think he needs it, make him feel welcomed, alright?" Tifa smirked at them. "I know you're all completely capable of growing close to someone, since the bonds you all hold with each other is astounding."

"What's his name?" Demyx asked, legs crossed Indian style, hands clasping his ankles as he looked at her innocently; blue eyes wide, brownie-blonde hair in a mullhawk falling into his eyes in loose strands. Tifa smirked at him, cocking her head to him seemingly curious before she looked behind her.

"Let him tell you that; yo! Come on in!"

Roxas looked over at the archway with everyone else as footsteps with long pauses between each meaning either the guy was tall or slow walked towards Tifa. As her eyes drifted up, Roxas deduced that he was in fact, just freakishly tall and not a slow person. Finally, he came into view, and something inside Roxas seemed to snap as he laid eyes on his crouched figure standing next to Tifa, dwarfing her.

_I'm sober now for 3 whole months it's one accomplishment that you helped me with  
The one thing that always tore us apart is the one thing I won't touch again  
In my sick way I want to thank you for holding my head up late at night  
While I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight  
You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicidal hate  
You made me compliment myself when it was way too hard to take  
So I'll drive so fucking far away that I never cross your mind  
__And do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind_

He was tall, as said before, and thin; his hips were sharp like Larxene's and his waist thin, almost as if he didn't eat. He had broad shoulders that were slouched so that they didn't look so big, and he wore a baggy sweater with a thumbhole in the sleeves where long thumbs peeked out, looped through the belt loops on his baggy, faded blue jeans; tears at the hems. He had long fingers, his right hand tapping against the top of his thigh as if he were listening to a song that no one else could hear without a headset to an iPod© or an MP3© player. His hair was bright red and long; spiked in the back in uneven layers. His eyes were bright green, almost antifreeze, and under each eye on his cheeks were black diamonds the size of Roxas' pinkie nail.

His sweater was a faded forest green, with a zipper up the front. His jeans as mentioned before were faded blue and torn at the hems, fading on his knees and his thighs for unknown reasons. He wore his socks, white, because they weren't allowed to wear their shoes inside the halfway except for the front foyer. He looked at Tifa as she spoke quietly to him, having to bend down a little so he could hear her before he nodded and stood up as straight as he deemed fit and turned slightly towards them, looking at them with a lazy, uncaring glance.

"The name's Axel; A-X-E-L." He paused, and Roxas watched him with wide eyes, his mouth slightly opened as he heard a familiar phrase running through his head just as Axel spoke it.

_Got it memorized?_

"Got it memorized?"

Roxas sat up on the couch, looking at him quietly as Tifa smirked at them. "Now that he's introduced I'm going to let you guys introduce yourselves and mingle; you don't need watching for that." She waved at them before she walked out, and they heard the door slam behind her, all of them jumping before an awkward silence fell over them. Axel stood there, shifting a little before he sighed tiredly, closing his eyes.

"To let you all know I'm a homosexual, kay?" He said, opening his eyes again lazily as he looked at them in an uncaring way. "So if that bothers you…"

"Like shit it does," Larxene muttered, rolling her eyes before she stood up and brushed off her jeans, straightening her tank top before looking back at the other males in the room; herself being the only female in the halfway house since Tifa didn't stay with the other staff. "All the fags please step up and forward!"

Marluxia, Zexion, Demyx and Roxas all stood up, stepping up in one line as if they always did this; and they did, because they usually did it to freak out newbies and get them out of their 'home'. Roxas was looking directly at Axel as the redhead's eyes widened, looking at each of them carefully. His eyes finally landed on Roxas', and the antifreeze green widened even more than it had before, his mouth hanging open a little. The blonde rose an eyebrow a little at him, and the redhead shook his head a little, smirking bit at Larxene who stood there grinning. "You always call them fags?"

"It's an affectionate term." She said, waving her hand to the side before she smirked at Axel who looked at her oddly. "I'm not lying when I say this, you know. Anyhow, these are the gays of our group; Marluxia has the pink hair, Zexion is the one who will pour scalding hot emo on you if you ever piss him off, Demyx is the guy with the weird mullhawk thing and Roxas is the shorty."

"How do you know the kid's gay?" Axel asked, looking at Roxas with a carefully guarded gaze. Roxas' gaze hardened while Larxene grinned cheerfully; AKA evilly.

"We gave him the Gay test; it was impromptu at the time but now it's just the official thing." Axel raised an eyebrow and Larxene cackled. "You want me to explain?"

"It would be oh so helpful."

"Okay; well first off, don't call Roxas a kid. He's 17." Larxene said, rolling her eyes and letting the four boys sit down, sitting down next to Saix at the window. The bluenette looked at her briefly, before looking away again and Larxene smirked, shaking her head. "Anyhow, the Gay test is something we made up when Roxas said he wasn't sure how he felt about having a girlfriend; said it felt wrong or whatever shit he said. I can't remember; it was one of the last things he ever said. I think he's gone mute."

"I have not," Roxas muttered, and Larxene grinned.

"The sociopath speaks!" She said, clapping her hands together. Roxas rolled his eyes, looking away from her as he lay down on the couch comfortably. Axel looked at Roxas with a weird look, before looking at Larxene. "A rock has more social inept than Roxas here; though we do love him so. And I think he actually was diagnosed with sociopathy…"

"It's your theory; Tifa has yet to prove positive or negative." Saix said softly from beside her. Larxene smirked, shrugging, before looking back at Axel.

"Anyhow, the Gay test is really simple. You get the potential faggot into the room with a guy and a girl; Demyx and I did this, since Demyx is gay and I'm a girl." She smirked. "First you get the girl to remove her top and bra, and get the potential gay to touch, cup and/or prod at the breast." Axel raised an eyebrow, and Larxene shrugged. "I don't really care. Anyhow, and then you get the other gay to drop his drawers and see how the potential gay reacts. Roxas blushed like a madman and we were like, 'ANOTHER HOMO!' and celebrated with stolen beer; Roxas refused a sip." She rolled her eyes. "The pansy. Anyhow, and that's the Gay test." She grinned at him, cocking her head to the side.

Axel looked at her with a slight frown, before he sighed and nodded, walking over to Roxas and patting his feet out of his way. The blonde obliged after a second's hesitation and Axel sat down. When he made himself comfortable, he looked up and noticed the eyes looking at him oddly. "What?"

"Dude you just sat down on Roxas' couch…And he LET you," Demyx pointed out, looking at him with wide eyes. "That's…Well…"

"A _MIRACLE_." Larxene said with wide blue eyes. "Roxas are you feeling alright?! Are you sick!? Did someone beat the shit out of you again at that damned school? 'Cause if they did tell me and I'll freakin' KILL them--!"

"I'm fine, Larxene," Roxas mumbled, eyes closed quietly while Axel looked at Demyx and Larxene as if they were psychopaths. Larxene looked at him like he was insane, before she sighed and shook her head, rubbing a temple. She then licked her lips, looking up just as the coo coo clock went off. "It's 6; time for dinner."

"At _6_?" Axel asked, eyes wide as he stood up with the others, some of them brushing off their jeans of imaginary dust, others straightening shirts and walking off without waiting for the others. "Why so early?"

"Everything has to be uniformed here," Zexion answered as he looked at Axel in contemplation, looking back at Roxas. "Roxas, I would like to have a word with you."

"Hm? Sure,"

"Our two mutes are going to converse; we should leave before the world explodes," Larxene said in her foolish way, pushing Demyx, Saix and Axel towards the kitchen. She looked back to catch Zexion's eye, and nodded to him, before they rounded a corner.

_Hate me today  
__Hate me tomorrow  
__Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you_

_Hate me in ways  
__Yeah ways hard to swallow  
__Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you_

Roxas looked at Zexion curiously, head cocked to the side and an eyebrow rose as he waited for the slightly taller male to speak up. Zexion then sighed, looking at him quietly.

"You unconsciously know him." Zexion said softly. "It's like with Demyx and I; you get a feeling you know him."

"…Ah," Roxas mumbled as he finally realized what Zexion wanted to talk to him about; the boy was blunt like that. "Yeah…I recognize him distinctly; like I knew what he was going to say before he even said it."

"Got it memorized? Yeah, I got the short lived feeling he'd say that too." The silver haired boy said, looking at him quietly. "But…I mean, I know things about Demyx…That I probably shouldn't."

"…Like how he's ticklish under his chin, or he likes to be massaged on the neck whenever he's stressed?" Zexion looked at him oddly and Roxas smirked. "I'm his roommate; of course I know."

"…Yeah…Those are some examples." Zexion sighed, looking to the side before looking at Roxas. "And you?"

"…I know Axel hates the rain, because it always upset him…And that he thinks that snow is just…Too cold." He smiled a little, laughing a bit. "I shouldn't know this but I do, and it's freaking me out…" He sighed, closing his eyes, before looking at Zexion. "We should…Get to the kitchen, before Xigbar comes to hunt us down."

"We don't need that," Zexion mumbled softly.

* * *

Roxas sighed as he looked up at Axel, who was staring at his book with a lack of interest, before swinging up to sit up, looking at him with a blank expression. Axel turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow, and Roxas shifted on the couch they now officially shared; no one knew why Roxas started to share it, but they didn't ask since they all had the suspicion it was because they thought he found the one his empty self was looking for. And with how Axel acted around Roxas, maybe he was one of the empty as well.

"What is it?" Axel asked, raising an eyebrow at him as he flipped the book around a bit in his hands. Roxas sighed, reaching over and grabbing the book, looking at the cover and raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"…_To Catch a Pirate_©?" Axel shrugged, grinning and Roxas rolled his eyes, smirking. "Interesting choice."

"Suppose so," Axel shrugged, taking the book back and leaning against the couch, eyes closed; Roxas watching him.

It had been a month since Axel had come into the halfway house, and everyone had gotten used to each other; Larxene and Axel shot joking sarcasm at each other, Demyx and Axel played music together, the redhead singing and the blonde playing his sitar; Zexion had started to get interested in board games again when he saw how Axel could handle himself against Lexeaus and beat the older man in things like Chinese Checkers and chess. Saix and Axel shared a mutual trust with each other, though they weren't too fond of each other, and Axel was already at the top of Xemnas' hit list because of the amount of times he'd already burned down the kitchen making pancakes at two in the morning. The silver haired man was thinking of banning them from using things like that, but Zexion would always slide in and smooth talk Xemnas out of the idea, Larxene's quick wit helping.

Now things were calm and peaceful; something rare around the halfway house. No new entries had come lately, which was always good because the group didn't like dealing with new people that just didn't understand at all. All of them were empty inside, as if something were missing; they confirmed Axel was one of the empty when he had muttered something about missing something inside of him and dreams. Those dreams that haunted all the teenagers in the halfway house, and even the staff.

Sighing, Axel opened his eyes, looking at the supposed sociopath with a bored look. "What is it?" He mumbled quietly; he felt uncomfortable around the blonde at times, because he had this weird sensation run down his spine, trying to get him to lean over and kiss the blonde; act on instinct he didn't know why he had. It freaked him out, especially since that empty feeling in his chest always filled whenever he saw Roxas smile at something Demyx had said, or say something nice to him.

"You're empty aren't you?" Roxas asked quietly, leaning forward and looking at him with a frown. Axel's eyes widened and he looked at Roxas with his mouth dropped open.

"What…"

"Hey Roxas!" Xigbar, a man with long black and silver hair a large scar on his left cheek and an eye patch over his right eye peeked his head around the archway with a grin, fangs glistening slightly. "You got a visitor."

Roxas' face seemed to light up, and Axel blinked in surprise at the wide smile that filled the blonde's face. "Send him in then, Xigbar!" Roxas asked, leaning forward on his couch. Xigbar nodded, looking over to someone in front of him before he jerked his head over. Axel heard hurried footsteps as someone came down the hall in their socked feet before a brunette that looked surprisingly like Roxas popped up, eyes wide and nervous looking. He looked around the recreation room for a moment, glancing at Axel with a surprised look before spotting Roxas beside the redhead; and the same exact smile Roxas held spread across the boy's.

"Roxas!" He said excitedly, rushing over to the blonde and enveloping him in a tight hug, holding him tightly. "Hey!"

"Sora! Good to see you!" Roxas said, laughing, and Axel listened to the alien sound as he pushed himself back from the moment; his eyes narrowed slightly in what seemed to be jealousy at how Sora and Roxas hugged and said their names. "I can't believe you could come and visit."

"The foster home understands I have a twin brother; I needed to see ya. I haven't seen you in two months!" Sora sighed in despair, sitting on his knees on the ground in front of Roxas; so this Sora also avoided 'Roxas' Couch' whenever he came over? Why was that?

"That's fine, Sora. At least you could come." Roxas smirked, ruffling the older twin's hair before he looked over at Axel, who looked thoroughly confused. "Ah! Right; this is my twin Sora. Sora, this is the new guy Axel," Roxas smiled at Axel a little, the happiness he felt seeing his brother pushing aside his usual aloof attitude. Axel nodded, lifting a hand in greeting, and Sora smiled brightly and nodded to him. "He came in little over a month ago."

"Ahh, and he's lasted this long? Must mean he's gotta be…One of you guys," Sora said, quieting a little as Roxas' smile disappeared, and Axel narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "…I'm going to hunt down Demyx, okay? I…I think I walked in on something now that I think about it."

_And with a sad heart I say bye to you and wave  
Kicking shadows on the street for every mistake that I had made  
And like a baby boy I never was a man  
Until I saw your blue eyes cry and I held your face in my hand  
And then I fell down yelling "Make it go away!"  
Just make a smile come back and shine just like it used to be  
And then she whispered "How can you do this to me?"  
_

Axel and Roxas watched as Sora jogged out of the room, turning towards the hallways with the bedrooms before the redhead turned to look at the blonde with narrowed eyes. "'One of you guys'? 'Empty'? What the fuck is this all about?"

Roxas looked to the side, gathering his legs up to his chest and sighing softly. He rested his chin on his knees, looking at his feet as they wiggled in front of him before he glanced up into those painfully familiar/unfamiliar green eyes that Axel was glaring at him through.

"It's…Just something we call ourselves," he mumbled after a bit, closing his blue eyes; he didn't notice the confusion that ran through Axel's eyes as he heard that. "Everyone here feels as if…Something's missing from their lives. Or someone." He laughed a little. "We're empty inside, and it's painful at times; whenever you see Larxene laugh, you'll notice it's completely forced. When Demyx smiles, it's so…Fake it hurts. When Zexion looks confused it's a charade."

"…And you?"

Roxas blinked, looking at him before shrugging.

"I don't show emotion enough to figure out what's fake about me." He stood up then, looking at him as he ran a hand through his spiky hair. "The Empties have dreams that are similar to one another; we're vaguely familiar to each other and we knew we knew each other once. There's always been one person that makes us feel whole. Saix and Larxene feel whole together, so you see them sitting around each other a lot; Demyx and Zexion spend a lot of time together, Zexion listening to Demyx's music. Marluxia feels complete when he's beside Xigbar's daughter Naminé." He shrugged a little, looking to the side. "I'm sure the staff, feel complete with someone there; too…We're all connected."

"...And yourself?" Axel whispered the question; terrified of the answer.

"…When I'm around you, something's...Strange. I guess that's...Feeling complete."

Axel looked at him for a moment, before he shifts in the seat, looking to the side. "I guess I'm an Empty," he mumbled after a moment. "There have always been...Really weird dreams of a boy that left...And I felt like something was tearing up though I knew I couldn't feel anything. Remembering feeling anger towards...Someone that looked a lot like Sora; was named Sora actually." He shrugged a shoulder, looking at the ground. "...I've always felt like I needed something."

"Welcome to the club of Empties; who's the one that makes you complete?"

"You."

_Hate me today  
__Hate me tomorrow  
__Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you_

_Hate me in ways  
__Yeah ways hard to swallow  
__Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you_

Roxas looked back at him, before he smiled a little and nodded. "Mm,"

* * *

Sora had gone back to the foster home later the evening he came to visit, and it was about another month after that; making it two months since Axel's arrival. After the explaining and the supposed 'confessions', Roxas was taken in to see Tifa to test his sociopathy, and Axel thought it was time he admit what had happened to him, since everyone else had admitted; those abused, anyhow.

Larxene had been sexually abused by her stepbrother, who was a bastard, but that didn't explain his behaviour. Axel thought it explained why she didn't care if she walked around naked around the hallways, and the guys saw her boobs.

Saix was hated by his father and was beaten by him. When his father threatened him with a gun, Saix said he seemed to snap and his father was left unconscious while he fled. He had been found by the police a few hours later and taken to the halfway house where he had calmed down a lot.

Zexion had been completely neglected by his mother, and whenever his father was around he was drunk and stupid and so he'd beat Zexion. Zexion would take it, though, since his mother called it 'punishment for being born'.

Marluxia had told his mother he was gay, and his mother had basically flipped and tried to kill him. He had run from her, but she chased; he had a scar down his back to prove it.

Axel had learned from Sora that Roxas had been at the beating end of their father's fist, protecting Sora who had admitted he was gay and dating his best friend Riku. His father had tried to strike him, but Roxas had told him not to, and so he was beaten instead. It had gone on for a good three years until finally someone noticed Roxas' bruising and went after him like a shadow as he went home. The person was Riku, and Riku noticed Roxas getting beaten down, standing protectively in front of Sora; the brunette crying and trying to make their father stop and cling to Roxas, but the blonde would push him away. He'd called the cops and they'd come as quick as he said the problem; their father was taken into jail for abuse and assault, Roxas taken to the halfway house and Sora to a foster home with four other kids; Kairi, Hayner, Pence and Olette.

When Roxas had come back announcing that Tifa was deciding his diagnoses, Axel sat them all down. Roxas sat on the couch as he usually did, Saix and Larxene by the window, Demyx, Marluxia and Zexion sitting on the floor. Axel was standing there a little, plucking at his shirt—a red in colour, something Roxas had given to him when he learned it was his birthday—before he sat down on the couch and sighed, clasping his hands in front of him. Roxas looked at him curiously, cocking his head to the side and Axel glanced at him, smiling a little bit before he sighed tiredly.

"My mother killed herself when I was five years old, leaving my dad and me alone to fend for ourselves. My dad had never really been around the home before, so he didn't know what to do with me; so he hired a nanny. She's was nice enough, I guess; kind of young, but she seemed to know what she was doing. She took care of me after that, and I grew to love her like my sister. Then my dad married her, and everything was really awkward. She seemed to be a little more distant; almost upset by something, and whenever she looked at me, she seemed to get pained or angry..."

He sighed, running his long fingers through his wild hair. "One day my dad said he had to go on a four month long business trip; I was 14 then. Valerie, my nanny and new stepmother, seemed to get upset. When he left, she had cried. But as soon as his taxi was gone the tears vanished and she started to scream at me. She said it was my fault that dad had to go on long business trips all the time. If it weren't for me he wouldn't need to leave her behind all the time. I had never seen her like this before, so I made a bolt for the door. She caught me though and smacked me." He closed his left eye as if remembering the pain, grimacing slightly.

"...It kind of went on like that; she started to do more than just smacking, of course, and she'd act like nothing happened when dad came back. I didn't say anything 'cause I was sort of afraid what she might do to me. This went on for about three years. My dad came home early as a surprise and walked in on Valerie beating me; it was one of the harder nights. She divorced her as soon as possibly and moved us...But I was just, kind of scarred, you could say. So I ran away from home, stayed at a friend's house for a while. He killed himself at the end, and I had no where to live." He frowned. "I went back to my dad, and he kind of ignored me; neglect as usual. I raised myself practically. I guess the court found out I wasn't really being taken care of—there was barely good in the fridge half the time—so they said my dad was incapable of caring for me. I went into a foster agency, though I didn't stay there long; ran away like I seemed to like doing. Found Tifa one day, and she brought me here after hearing my story." He shrugged a shoulder, looking to the side.

"Sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

* * *

"I'm not a sociopath," Roxas said, rolling his eyes. "I'm just anti-social and apparently need to get a life."

Axel laughed as the blonde sat on his bed, smirking at him. It had been a week; a simple week, but a lot of things had changed. Such as the two's relationships with each other. The day after Axel had explained his past, Roxas had gone to his room—whom he didn't share with anyone the bastard—and asked if he could come in. When he had made himself comfortable, he started to just talk about random things, Axel looking at him in confusion. Finally, after ten minutes of this, Axel asked what the hell he wanted and Roxas fell silent, his expression blank.

"Don't be sorry." Was the simple thing he said, and he fell back against the bed, eyes closed. Axel's eyes widened at the comment, before he walked over to Roxas and sat next to him, prodding his side. Roxas scowled, opening his eyes and glaring at him openly. "What?"

"Don't be sorry?" Roxas rolled his eyes, sitting up and shifting so that he sat in front of Axel, looking at him quietly before he nodded. "Why not?"

"...You didn't have to tell us at all." He said softly, lifting a hand and cupping the redhead's cheek. The taller male's eyes widened at the action, before he seemed to lean into the blonde's touch. Roxas smiled a little. "But thank you for telling us."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Axel whispered softly. The warmth of his hand disappeared and he opened his eyes to look at the blonde who was looking away. "Roxas...?"

"I'm ashamed of it." He said simply, shrugging. "I'm not...As open as everyone else. I don't talk." He smirked a little. "...Surprising, eh?" Axel smirked, shaking his head. "No?"

"No." The redhead leaned over then and acted on his instinct, kissing him softly. Roxas, instead of freaking out, kissed him back, lifting a hand to thread his fingers through his long wild hair. Axel's arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. They separated after a minute or so, foreheads touching, panting softly.

"I'd miss you..."

Roxas had laughed, kissing him again and things had developed from there.

So now we see them resting on the bed, Axel running his fingers through Roxas' hair as he looked out at nothing. Roxas had his eyes closed, and was just dwelling in the silence when he felt Axel shake his shoulder. The blonde opened his eyes, looking up at him curiously. "What is it?"

"Are we still empty?"

The question was surprising, and Roxas wasn't expecting it. But then he smiled and closed his eyes, snuggling into Axel's lap.

"No."

_Hate me today...  
__Hate me tomorrow...  
__Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you..._


End file.
